It was great meeting with all of you this week during parent teacher conferences. I was so interested in hearing about how the children act at home compared to in the classroom.
We had many visitors in the classroom this week, including our newest student, Macy! All of the kids were so excited to meet her, and they did a great job making her feel at home. Just another one of the many ways the kids spread peace.
We had two surprise visitors on Tuesday. Gonzalo and Armando came to celebrate Emma's birthday. They showed us Cuba on the map, which is where they're from, and taught us that Cuba is an island. Gonzalo read "The Family Book", by Todd Parr, which demonstrated that, no matter how different families can be, all families hug each other and love each other! Emma also read one of her favorite Spanish poems and helped her friends learn some new Spanish words.
On Wednesday, Agusta, Julia J's mom, came in to celebrate Julia's birthday and to teach us about Iceland. We learned that Iceland can be very cold, but is not actually covered in ice as its name implies. Julia and her mom read the kids an Icelandic story that is well known to their family, and the kids learned some new words in Icelandic like 'bless', which means good-bye! They also donated a new book to our classroom written in 3 different languages, including English and Icelandic.
There was so much excitement throughout the day on Wednesday. We had the photographer snapping shots throughout the day during freeplay, meeting, dance, and during Agusta's visit. The kids also baked cookies and muffins for the pajama party Thursday night. This was a long awaited event, and it ended up being a lot of fun for everyone.
The kids have really expressed a lot of interest in measuring objects around the classroom. This coming week, we will be making a height chart. This idea came from all of the kids, and they will be measuring their height using measuring tape. They also chose to measure themselves using blocks. Tyler brought back a huge leaf from Miami, and they compared the size of the leaf to the size of their heads. The Leaf was actually bigger!
The seehere.com website is down for maintenance. Fortunately, I was able to show you some of the pictures from this week and last week during conferences. I will send you a link once the website is up and running.
See you all during the week,
Amanda
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Give Peace a Chance
The kids have been eating peace up!! I have seen many of them come in with peace signs on their clothes, and they love showing the peace sign with their fingers, especially when it's time to remember to turn our voices off. Tyler brought in a picture of a diamond encrusted peace sign, too. So cool! This is something that all of the children have been very enthusiastic about. There is such a wide range of topics we are going to cover, but in order to love others, we need to start with loving ourselves. This week, we have been focusing on who we are and what makes us special.
The children started to think about what it would be like if everything was the same. What if we all looked the same? What if all of the seasons were the same? What if all of the toys were the same!? I think Ryan put it best when he said "It would be boring". We then explored the many ways we can be different from each other during a brainstorming activity. You can see what the kids came up with if you look on the bulletin board near the bamboo plant. Although, I would like to share with you the ways in which we can smell different, according to our brainstormers. Sarah said some of us smell like curry-puffs, Dylan said some of us smell like oatmeal, and some other thoughts were shoes, mint and pasta. The kids also had the opportunity to go around the circle and share something about themselves that makes them special. Here are just a few of the things some of the kids shared with their class: Emma loves to eat candy, Eva Y. has a special necklace from her Grandma, Darby loves to give hugs and Joshua loves to play soccer.
Another one of the ways the kids noticed we are different is through our skin color. Using our "Colorations People Paint", the kids took a very close look at their skin and mixed the flesh toned paint in order to create their own skin color. They used the color they created to start making self portraits. This week they will add a new physical attribute. The children will observe the many details of themselves and learn to appreciate how their physical appearances also make them special and unique. We all have eyes, ears and noses, yet there is no one else who looks quite like us.
Also this week, the kids designed a mirror to use while we read the story, "Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods that Make My Day", by Jamie Lee Curtis. We discussed some of the many feelings we can express, and the kids practiced some of them while looking into their mirrors. There is so much more to feelings than happy, mad and sad!
We started to touch on living in places outside of New York City, and how not all people live the way we do. They learned that some people need help from others to get the things they need. Sometimes when we don't need something anymore, it's nice to give it to others for them to use. Some were able to share with the class ways in which they gave to others when they were done using something. They recognized that it's kind of like recycling, and it's a way to spread peace.
This week, we have two parents coming in to talk to the kids a bit about their different languages and traditions. The children will continue to learn about themselves, and then begin to branch off to learn about their family. We only have a three day week this coming week because of parent teacher conferences, but I would like to introduce some new music if time permits.
The children started to think about what it would be like if everything was the same. What if we all looked the same? What if all of the seasons were the same? What if all of the toys were the same!? I think Ryan put it best when he said "It would be boring". We then explored the many ways we can be different from each other during a brainstorming activity. You can see what the kids came up with if you look on the bulletin board near the bamboo plant. Although, I would like to share with you the ways in which we can smell different, according to our brainstormers. Sarah said some of us smell like curry-puffs, Dylan said some of us smell like oatmeal, and some other thoughts were shoes, mint and pasta. The kids also had the opportunity to go around the circle and share something about themselves that makes them special. Here are just a few of the things some of the kids shared with their class: Emma loves to eat candy, Eva Y. has a special necklace from her Grandma, Darby loves to give hugs and Joshua loves to play soccer.
Another one of the ways the kids noticed we are different is through our skin color. Using our "Colorations People Paint", the kids took a very close look at their skin and mixed the flesh toned paint in order to create their own skin color. They used the color they created to start making self portraits. This week they will add a new physical attribute. The children will observe the many details of themselves and learn to appreciate how their physical appearances also make them special and unique. We all have eyes, ears and noses, yet there is no one else who looks quite like us.
Also this week, the kids designed a mirror to use while we read the story, "Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods that Make My Day", by Jamie Lee Curtis. We discussed some of the many feelings we can express, and the kids practiced some of them while looking into their mirrors. There is so much more to feelings than happy, mad and sad!
We started to touch on living in places outside of New York City, and how not all people live the way we do. They learned that some people need help from others to get the things they need. Sometimes when we don't need something anymore, it's nice to give it to others for them to use. Some were able to share with the class ways in which they gave to others when they were done using something. They recognized that it's kind of like recycling, and it's a way to spread peace.
This week, we have two parents coming in to talk to the kids a bit about their different languages and traditions. The children will continue to learn about themselves, and then begin to branch off to learn about their family. We only have a three day week this coming week because of parent teacher conferences, but I would like to introduce some new music if time permits.
REMINDERS
The parent-bulletin board has moved to the hallway leading to our classroom. Be sure to check it on a regular basis--there are important notices that are often posted along with our snack sign up and general classroom information.
Parent teacher conferences are on Thursday and Friday this week. If you haven't signed up, please make sure you do. The sign up is also posted on the parent-bulletin board.
We will be having our thanks-giving feast on Tuesday the 24th. The kids will be joining McKenzie's class for lunch, so we will have a community sign-up which will be posted in McKenzie's classroom next to the door that leads to the playground. It will be posted during this week. Class parents, it would be great if you could come and help set up and serve the kids!
Our Pajama Party is on Thursday!! This even is just for our classroom members and their parents. This means that their brothers and/or sisters will have to stay home, but there will be many more family events for them to attend. The kids will bake a special treat the day before, and get to enjoy it with a glass of milk (or soy milk) and some bedtime stories, all while wearing their PJs.
On Wednesday, we will have a videographer/photographer capturing images for the school's website. I will have a release form for you to sign either on Monday or Tuesday. If we have your permission for your child to appear on the website, a bright and colorful outfit would be perfect!
I hope you all had a great weekend, and I look forward to meeting with everyone at the end of the week. I will get in touch with you through e mail if there are any other updates or things you should be aware of.
Peace and Love!
Amanda
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Trick-or-Treat!
I hope everyone had a fun, safe Halloween. Growing up right outside the city, I have vivid memories of dragging my feet out the door after my mom made me wear a winter coat over my costume. This year we had some very moderate weather for the end of October, so I hope the kids got the most out of their costumes. It was awesome seeing those of you who went to the Safari park after school on Friday (and Michael Douglas, too). It looked like the kids had such a great time!
This week, I plan to have discussions with the kids about peace and diversity. We have been spending some time over the last week and a half talking about the countries of our world, different languages, and all of the different skin colors we find inside and outside of our classroom. We talked about peace and what some of us think peace means, and even learned how to draw the peace-sign. I know there are several of you who speak other languages and have unique family traditions. It would be great for all of the kids to learn from you about the diversity of our classroom in order to assist them to understand diversity on a grander scale. If you would like to come in one day to read a story or teach us about your culture or language, please let me know! I've started to talk with a few of you about this already.
Not only have the children started to observe themselves and their peers, they've also been making other various observations. Our student teacher, Audrey, brought in ladybugs for us to keep in our classroom. The kids spent a lot of time looking closely at how they move and crawl, how they look, and even experienced how they feel as they crawl around on their hands. Here's a quick look at some of the conversation that occured after the ladybugs' first introduction to the class:
Q: What are they doing?
Julia C "They're walking"
Dylan "They're walking and climbing up and down"
Caden "Look, they're going up to the ceiling!"
Joshua "They're flying"
Leo "I saw one walking on the wall"
Q: Where did they come from?
All "outside!"
Q: Where do they live?
"In the dirt"
"In trees"
"In the dessert"
Q: Where can we put them after we observe them?
"In the dirt"
"In the garden in the flowers"
"They can eat the pumpkins or apple pie"
After the kids had the opportunity to spend some time with our new, little friends, they each got to find a home for their own lady bug in the Community Garden.
Another addition to the classroom was our large and lumpy pumpkin. The kids decided they wanted to carve the pumpkin to turn it into a 'creepy jack-o-lantern'. They noticed the "pimples" on the outside, as well as the lines and irregularities. By the end of the week, they scraped out the seeds and pumpkin goo, drew shapes to be carved, and separated the seeds from the pumpkin flesh so we could bake them. They ate the seeds on Friday along with their own Halloween cookie they baked and decorated. They loved the seeds-- I'm not exaggerating when I say I gave out seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths to several of the kids. Many of them decided that the seeds tasted just like popcorn. I think they were a bigger hit than the cookies.
Along with baking the seeds and cookies, all of the children contributed to making our classroom supply of play-doh with Audrey. The recipe is very basic so you can do it at home, too. Let me know if you'd like a copy. When the kids get to participate in cooking, they appreciate the final product much more. With food, they're also more willing to taste it if they've helped with the cooking or baking process. Last week, we cooked two more of our squash and most of them really enjoyed it. They got to cut it, mash it, and add a bit of butter and a sprinkle of salt. So good!
Our easel has been getting a lot of attention lately. The kids have been using different textured paint brushes, leaves, and best of all, their hands to paint pictures. Many of them worked together to make a huge finger painting, which you may have seen hanging on our door. Some of them finger painted with some ooey-gooey paint, too. The texture and feel of paint always puts some interesting looks on the kids faces. Because the kids have been so interested in paint, I dug around at home to find all of my old acrylic paint from when I attended art school. Working with acrylic provides a totally different experience and look to a painting, compared to the tempera paint that the children are use to. I thought it would great if the kids could use the paint on their own white pumpkins.
After they painted the pumpkins, the kids worked so hard on creating a pumpkin patch to keep their pumpkins in. Each window-sill is covered in leaves, vines and stems-- they made such a great home for their pumpkins. Make sure to look for them on Monday. They are all very proud of what they made!
Speaking of leaves, we took a trip to central park with our journals to check out the changing leaves, and just to enjoy being outside in nature. They really wanted to take their journals along with them, so, after we all sat down to read a story together about our Earth, they all found a quiet place to sit and observe while they drew in their journals. They also wanted to take a walk by the water. I think if we could have, we would have stayed there for hours. It was a great way to spend the afternoon on a beautiful day.
Last but not least, I want to mention again how great the field trip was. Despite the rain, the kids had so much fun planting, digging, playing with worms, looking for frogs, and smelling herbs and flowers. They also got to sit in a wigwam and learned that, a VERY long time ago, people in New York would actually live in them. The kids also had the opportunity to apply what they learned in school about seeds and roots to some of the activities they did in the garden. The trip was a great success, not to mention the bus ride!! Thanks to all of the chaperones for all of their hard work.
REMINDERS:
Don't forget to sign up for parent-teacher conferences this week. They start on November 12th.
PLEASE send your child's lunch in a brown paper bag. I know you can do it, because we had all 100% disposable lunches on our field trip. There just simply isn't enough room in our fridge to house 17 large lunch-boxes. Thank you to those who have been using brown paper bags, plastic or canvas bags.
Also, starting Monday, we will be disposing of any food that is not eaten after lunch. If you would like your child to save their food, please let me know and we will keep it in the fridge for you to pick up at the end of the day. **No food in cubbies, please!!!*
Thank you for all who have been signing up for snack. A new calendar will be posted for November tomorrow morning. We had a suggestion from one of the parents to have the option of bringing in some fresh (inexpensive) flowers for the classroom. It's always great to bring a little bit of nature to the inside, so any natural materials are always welcome.
Have a great week!
Amanda
This week, I plan to have discussions with the kids about peace and diversity. We have been spending some time over the last week and a half talking about the countries of our world, different languages, and all of the different skin colors we find inside and outside of our classroom. We talked about peace and what some of us think peace means, and even learned how to draw the peace-sign. I know there are several of you who speak other languages and have unique family traditions. It would be great for all of the kids to learn from you about the diversity of our classroom in order to assist them to understand diversity on a grander scale. If you would like to come in one day to read a story or teach us about your culture or language, please let me know! I've started to talk with a few of you about this already.
Not only have the children started to observe themselves and their peers, they've also been making other various observations. Our student teacher, Audrey, brought in ladybugs for us to keep in our classroom. The kids spent a lot of time looking closely at how they move and crawl, how they look, and even experienced how they feel as they crawl around on their hands. Here's a quick look at some of the conversation that occured after the ladybugs' first introduction to the class:
Q: What are they doing?
Julia C "They're walking"
Dylan "They're walking and climbing up and down"
Caden "Look, they're going up to the ceiling!"
Joshua "They're flying"
Leo "I saw one walking on the wall"
Q: Where did they come from?
All "outside!"
Q: Where do they live?
"In the dirt"
"In trees"
"In the dessert"
Q: Where can we put them after we observe them?
"In the dirt"
"In the garden in the flowers"
"They can eat the pumpkins or apple pie"
After the kids had the opportunity to spend some time with our new, little friends, they each got to find a home for their own lady bug in the Community Garden.
Another addition to the classroom was our large and lumpy pumpkin. The kids decided they wanted to carve the pumpkin to turn it into a 'creepy jack-o-lantern'. They noticed the "pimples" on the outside, as well as the lines and irregularities. By the end of the week, they scraped out the seeds and pumpkin goo, drew shapes to be carved, and separated the seeds from the pumpkin flesh so we could bake them. They ate the seeds on Friday along with their own Halloween cookie they baked and decorated. They loved the seeds-- I'm not exaggerating when I say I gave out seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths to several of the kids. Many of them decided that the seeds tasted just like popcorn. I think they were a bigger hit than the cookies.
Along with baking the seeds and cookies, all of the children contributed to making our classroom supply of play-doh with Audrey. The recipe is very basic so you can do it at home, too. Let me know if you'd like a copy. When the kids get to participate in cooking, they appreciate the final product much more. With food, they're also more willing to taste it if they've helped with the cooking or baking process. Last week, we cooked two more of our squash and most of them really enjoyed it. They got to cut it, mash it, and add a bit of butter and a sprinkle of salt. So good!
Our easel has been getting a lot of attention lately. The kids have been using different textured paint brushes, leaves, and best of all, their hands to paint pictures. Many of them worked together to make a huge finger painting, which you may have seen hanging on our door. Some of them finger painted with some ooey-gooey paint, too. The texture and feel of paint always puts some interesting looks on the kids faces. Because the kids have been so interested in paint, I dug around at home to find all of my old acrylic paint from when I attended art school. Working with acrylic provides a totally different experience and look to a painting, compared to the tempera paint that the children are use to. I thought it would great if the kids could use the paint on their own white pumpkins.
After they painted the pumpkins, the kids worked so hard on creating a pumpkin patch to keep their pumpkins in. Each window-sill is covered in leaves, vines and stems-- they made such a great home for their pumpkins. Make sure to look for them on Monday. They are all very proud of what they made!
Speaking of leaves, we took a trip to central park with our journals to check out the changing leaves, and just to enjoy being outside in nature. They really wanted to take their journals along with them, so, after we all sat down to read a story together about our Earth, they all found a quiet place to sit and observe while they drew in their journals. They also wanted to take a walk by the water. I think if we could have, we would have stayed there for hours. It was a great way to spend the afternoon on a beautiful day.
Last but not least, I want to mention again how great the field trip was. Despite the rain, the kids had so much fun planting, digging, playing with worms, looking for frogs, and smelling herbs and flowers. They also got to sit in a wigwam and learned that, a VERY long time ago, people in New York would actually live in them. The kids also had the opportunity to apply what they learned in school about seeds and roots to some of the activities they did in the garden. The trip was a great success, not to mention the bus ride!! Thanks to all of the chaperones for all of their hard work.
REMINDERS:
Don't forget to sign up for parent-teacher conferences this week. They start on November 12th.
PLEASE send your child's lunch in a brown paper bag. I know you can do it, because we had all 100% disposable lunches on our field trip. There just simply isn't enough room in our fridge to house 17 large lunch-boxes. Thank you to those who have been using brown paper bags, plastic or canvas bags.
Also, starting Monday, we will be disposing of any food that is not eaten after lunch. If you would like your child to save their food, please let me know and we will keep it in the fridge for you to pick up at the end of the day. **No food in cubbies, please!!!*
Thank you for all who have been signing up for snack. A new calendar will be posted for November tomorrow morning. We had a suggestion from one of the parents to have the option of bringing in some fresh (inexpensive) flowers for the classroom. It's always great to bring a little bit of nature to the inside, so any natural materials are always welcome.
Have a great week!
Amanda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)